1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to core drills that remove core specimens or cylindrical-shaped solid masses or plugs from a target solid, and, more specifically, to a core drill that is capable of mating with a core-catching device with a support member running through the center or longitudinal axis of the core specimen and connected to a core supporting means positioned underneath the core specimen, so that the core-catching device may catch and balance the core specimen, upon the successful drilling and detachment of the core specimen from the target solid.
2. Description of Related Art
Many endeavors require core specimens for the purpose of ascertaining physical and/or chemical properties of a target solid. Specimens are necessary because thorough laboratory testing must be conducted at laboratories located some distance from the target solid, so specimens must be detached from the target solid and then transported to the laboratory for testing. Cylindrical-shaped specimens are commonly used for this purpose because the physical procedure of drilling out a core sample is the easiest and fastest method to detach specimens. A hollow cylindrical drill bit is used to drill into the target solid in order to create a solid cylindrical-shaped plug of the target solid lodged in the center of the drill bit. The plug is removed from the drill bit and from there forward it is called a core specimen or core sample. Core samples are transported back to the laboratory for analysis. There are many core drilling devices for this process in the prior art.
This invention is a core drilling device that functions to “open” a hazardous waste container made of cement, concrete, metal, rock, or other solid material, by removing a portion of the top of the hazardous waste container, in the form of a “core sample”, in order to create a hole or void in the top of the hazardous waste container, to provide access to the interior of the hazardous waste container. Hazardous waste containers are large man-made liquid-tight containers that may be placed underground and may hold hundreds of gallons of hazardous liquid material, such as liquid nuclear waste. Importantly, this invention functions to drill a core sample and then catch the core sample to prevent it from falling into the hazardous waste container or into the interior of the hazardous waste container where the hazardous waste is located. If the core sample were to fall into the hazardous waste container, this could cause the hazardous liquid inside to splash up or otherwise spread from the interior of the hazardous waste container to the outside, thereby causing harm to humans, property, and nature. This invention prevents that from happening. The core sample created with this invention is not sent for laboratory analysis because it is hazardous waste so it must be contained as such.
Access to hazardous waste containers is required because of failures in the containers. There are hazardous waste containers in service currently that are leaking or leaching hazardous liquid into the ground, thereby causing harm to humans, property, and nature. This invention will be used to help gain safe access to failing liquid hazardous waste containers, so that the hazardous liquid inside may be extracted or removed to prevent further harm to humans, property, and nature. The removed hazardous liquid will then be turned into a solid form and re-stored in another hazardous waste container.